Big ideas. Bigger laughs. Serious business. And one unforgettable evening on San Francisco Bay.

The RIOT Impact Group — Restoration Industry Over Takers — was at it again! This time, the crew packed their bags and headed west to beautiful San Rafael, California, for another high-energy meeting hosted by Nick Ondrejka and PuroClean of San Rafael.

And if there’s one thing we’ve learned about RIOT meetings, it’s this:

We may show up to talk business… but we leave as an even tighter family.

The latest gathering brought together some of the most driven owners and leaders in the PuroClean family; in attendance:

This crew has been building something special.

More Than a Meeting — It’s an Impact Group

An Impact Group is about much more than sitting around a conference table and talking about revenue.

It’s about trust.

It’s about having a group of people who understand exactly what it feels like to run a restoration company — the 2 a.m. calls, staffing challenges, equipment investments, insurance claims, cash flow, customers, sales, employees, growth, mistakes, victories, and everything in between.

And most importantly, it’s about being able to put the ego at the door.

Within RIOT, the conversations are real. The numbers are real. The challenges are real. And the solutions come from people who have actually been in the trenches.

This meeting was no different.

The RIOT crew dug into financials, equipment, claims procedures, operational challenges, expansion opportunities, growth strategies, and the never-ending question of how we can continue to build stronger companies while maintaining the quality and culture that got us here.

There were numbers on the table. There were ideas flying around the room. Questions were being challenged.

And, of course, there were plenty of laughs along the way.

That’s the RIOT difference.

We don’t just talk about what could work.

We talk about what DID work — and what didn’t.

Welcome to San Rafael!

Nick Ondrejka and the PuroClean of San Rafael team opened their doors and gave the RIOT crew the opportunity to see the operation, talk through challenges, and get a closer look at another PuroClean business.

Every location is different.

Every market has its own personality.

Every owner has a different story.

But that’s exactly why Impact Groups work.

One owner might have already solved the problem another owner is facing. Another might have found a better way to manage equipment. Someone else may have discovered a new approach to claims, staffing, sales, or expansion.

Instead of every owner having to reinvent the wheel, RIOT gives everyone a chance to share the wheel, upgrade the wheel, and occasionally throw the old wheel out entirely!

Then… We Hit the Bay! ⛵🌉

Of course, you can’t bring a group of restoration owners to San Francisco and expect us to spend the entire 3-day trip inside a conference room!

After the business was handled, it was time for some RIOT-style recreation.

The crew climbed aboard a 50-foot sailboat and headed out onto the legendary waters of San Francisco Bay.

And this wasn’t your average boat ride.

We sailed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, cruised past Alcatraz, took in incredible views of San Francisco, and made our way back toward Sausalito after sundown.

Talk about a change of scenery!

For a group accustomed to talking about drying equipment, job costing, insurance claims, and commercial losses, there’s something pretty incredible about stepping away from the office, feeling the wind coming across the bay and looking back at one of the most iconic skylines in the world.

There was laughter.

There were stories.

There was plenty of trash talk.

And there was probably at least a little discussion about who was actually qualified to captain a 50-foot sailboat!

But moments like these are exactly why relationships matter.

And Let’s Not Forget the Food! 🍀🥪🍺

Of course, no RIOT trip is complete without some serious food adventures! San Rafael definitely delivered. The crew enjoyed everything from a lively Irish pub and a fresh, mouthwatering sourdough sandwich spot to a walk over to a quaint, homestyle café that felt like the kind of place where everyone knows your name. And because RIOT believes in experiencing the local flavor, we also made our way to a Bavarian beer and brats bar—because apparently business strategy works even better when accompanied by a good bratwurst! 🌭🍺

Good food has a way of bringing people together—and this crew certainly took advantage of it!

From the Bay to the Redwoods 🌲

As the trip wound down, some of the remaining RIOT members took another chance to experience California’s incredible landscape with a walk through the redwood forest at Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

After all the strategy, spreadsheets, financial discussions, and business planning, there was something fitting about slowing down, getting outside, and walking among trees that have been standing for generations.

Sometimes the best business conversations happen when you’re not sitting at a conference table.

That’s What RIOT Is All About

RIOT started with a simple idea: restoration owners and leaders helping restoration owners and leaders get better inside the PuroClean network.

But it has grown into something much bigger.

It’s friendship.

It’s accountability.

It’s trust.

It’s knowing that when someone in the group picks up the phone and says, “I’ve got a problem,” there are people on the other end who are ready to help.

The restoration industry can be incredibly competitive, but RIOT has proven that competition doesn’t have to mean isolation.

We can compete in our own markets while still helping each other raise the standard for the entire industry.

We’ve shared ideas.

We’ve shared numbers.

We’ve shared equipment knowledge.

We’ve shared mistakes.

We’ve shared successes.

And, perhaps most importantly, we’ve shared time.

Because businesses are built on numbers — but great organizations are built on people and relationships.

The RIOT crew may come together from California, Pennsylvania, Texas, Maine, Indiana, Hawaii, Nevada, and beyond, but once everyone gets together, geography seems to disappear.

We’re RIOT.

Restoration Industry Over Takers.

We show up.

We challenge each other.

We push each other.

We celebrate each other.

And then we go back home a little smarter, a little more motivated, and a whole lot more connected.

A huge MAHALO to Nick Ondrejka and PuroClean of San Rafael for hosting this RIOT Impact Group meeting and giving us an incredible California experience!

From boardrooms to the bay, from financials to friendships, from the Golden Gate to the redwoods — this one was definitely one for the books.

RIOT isn’t just a meeting.

RIOT is a movement.

RIOT is family.

And we’re just getting started. 🔥💧💪🌲⛵🌉

RIOT — Restoration Industry Over Takers

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